Second Schleswig War

The Second Schleswig War (1 February-30 October 1864) was a war fought between an Austro-Prussian alliance and Denmark over the disputed Schleswig-Holstein region of Jutland. The war was caused by a violation of the peace treaty that had ended the First Schleswig War, as Denmark passed a constitution that illegally integrated Schleswig into Denmark. The Prussians and Austrians jointly declared war on Denmark, hoping to acquire the German-majority region of Holstein and the German-minority region of Schleswig by force. 61,000 Prussian troops under Helmuth von Moltke invaded Denmark, facing just 38,000 Danish troops; Von Moltke's reforms had served to make the Prussian Army incredibly strong once more, and the Prussians avenged their defeat in the First Schleswig War by successfully defeating the Danish. Under the Treaty of Vienna, Denmark gave Schleswig and Holstein to Germany, which proceeded to form the North German Confederation with its newly-acquired lands.